A New Life
by eclipse2012
Summary: Mitsuko Bara is a monster. At least, according to her peers, that is. With her psychic power and her mysterious ability to see and materialize duel spirits, she is nothing less than odd. When she moves to Heartland City from America, she is given a chance to start over. But with crisis looming on the horizon, she is left with no choice but to accept her powers and save the world.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I will not rest this again, so I'm going to take care of it in one fell swoop. I do not own Yugioh Zexal, its characters, or its cards. All of aforementioned subjects belong to Konami. If I do use author made cards (though it isn't likely), I will bold them, and give credit to their respective creators. The only things I do own in this story are my OCs and my own author made cards (once again, it is not likely I will use any).**

**With out of the way, please enjoy the story.**

* * *

**A New Life**

**Prologue: Humble Beginnings**

Sunlight poured through the many trees that crowded the large backyard. Shadows were cast on the ground of an elegant terrace. An elaborate pool stood but a few feet away from the terrace's steps, which seemed to lead straight into the pool. Under the sheltered area of the terrace, a small table had been set up, covered in party decorations and cake. At one end of the table, a few wrapped boxes were stacked atop each other. In the chairs that had been set up around the table, four small children sang in a childish warble that characterized the voices of young children.

"Happy Birthday!"

In a quick breath, the candles that decorated the cake were blown out. Cheers escaped the mouths of the children in attendance. The adults, who were standing off to the side, smiled as the children congratulated the birthday girl.

The girl in question was only about eight years old. Her bright purple eyes sparkled as her friends patted her on the back. Her hair, an unnatural silver, was tied in a ponytail, which was secured by a gold ribbon.

A boy with blue hair and gold eyes ruffled her hair, causing a few of her silver stands to come loose from the ponytail.

"Man Mits, you sure are grown' up!" he chortled.

'Mits' swatted his hands away. "You have no place to say that Leon! And it's _Mitsuko_, not Mits!"

"Aww, but it's too fun getting to tease you!" he responded as he ruffled her hair again.

Mitsuko let out another indignant cry as she attempted to get Leon away from her. Her friend, a girl with ebony hair and green eyes, pulled Leon off the silver-haired girl.

"C'mon Leon. You've bugged her enough," she pouted.

The bluenette turned to face her. "Sorry Zessica. I got carried away."

"Don't tell that to me, tell it to Mitsuko!"

He turned to face her. "Sorry," he muttered.

Mitsuko's cheeks puffed out as she turned her head away from him. She childishly crossed her arms over her chest. "You should be!" she huffed.

"Stop acting so childish Mits." A boy with green hair and brown eyes placed a hand atop her head.

"Not you too Kaus!"

The adults, who had been watching the interaction, all chuckled at their children's antics. A male with silver hair and deep blue eyes stared fondly at the children, particularly Mitsuko. A small smile crossed his face as the threesome began arguing again.

A woman with purple eyes and brown hair wrapped her arms around the silver-haired man's arm. "It's hard to believe she's growing up, isn't it dear?" she inquired.

The man next to her sighed. "She's not going to be a little girl for much longer Lucia. Before we know it, she's going to be driving. Kinda reminds me of just how old I am."

Lucia chuckled. "You're still so naïve Morgan. She'll always be our little girl; she's just growing up."

"Speaking of her growing up," another man, this time with navy hair green eyes, walked over, "Have you told her yet? You both know that she can't be kept in the dark forever."

Morgan shook his head. "I know Nathaniel, but she's still young. She hasn't even tapped her abilities yet. We just need to hold out a bit longer."

The man, now known as Nathaniel, scowled at the silver haired man across from him. "I've seen the way your daughter looks at people dueling Morgan. Sooner or later, she's going to pick up a deck, and hell's going to break loose. You can't-"

"Enough Nathaniel!" a women with lavender hair and yellow eyes snapped, "She's not our child. I now you're worried about our boy's safety as well, but this is not a matter in which we have a place to say anything!"

"'Rosanna…" he murmured, "I'm just concerned that Mitsuko is going to hurt someone. I don't want a repeat of the Akiza case."

"Dear," Rosanna protested, "that was over a century ago. Mitsuko won't turn out that way. She's been well raised."

"Still," a new voice interjected, "it's a very real possibility. All of our children, not just Mitsuko, are in danger here. Mitsuko is a time bomb waiting to explode. She needs to be properly trained in the art of controlling her power."

The voice that had spoken up belonged to a man with ash-black hair. A pair of green eyes glared out from under dark bangs. A women with rose-colored hair and identical eyes walked up beside him.

"If Mitsuko isn't told soon, her friendship with the other children will be threatened. I doubt you want your daughter," he cast a very pointed glare at Morgan, "to grow up being called a monster."

Morgan's eyes sank to the ground, a grimace worming its way onto his face. "I know Jean. I know."

"Dad!" a voice called.

Morgan looked up to see his daughter waving him over, a wide smile plastered across her face.

"C'mon Dad! When are we doing presents?"

The other children echoed her call, clearly just as excited to see what the gifts were as Mitsuko.

Morgan smiled. "We're coming!" he called back.

He gave the two men over his shoulder as a warning. Both men glared back, but said nothing. With his wife by his side, the adults made their way over to the table.

Morgan picked up a small package and stuffed it in his jacket pocket before walking over to his daughter's side. "Are you sure? You haven't even eaten your cake yet."

"Cake can wait!" Leon piped up, "we want to see what she got!"

The other children echoed his statement. Morgan, clearly outvoted, sighed in defeat.

"Alright then. Presents first, I suppose."

* * *

Wrapping paper littered the marble floor. After about five minutes of gasps and thank-you's-some more enthusiastic than others-Mitsuko finally had a chance to marvel at her gifts. Zessica had gotten her a new sketchbook, since she seemed to burn through hers unnaturally fast. Kaus had given her a new pencil set, which she was sure that both he and Zessica had collaborated on when choosing their gifts.

However, Leon's gift was what surprised her the most. The bluenette had given her a beautiful gold wing-shaped duel disk, a pure purple gem connecting it to the oval-shaped screen, saying that she could use it whenever she got a deck. Her D-Gazer was similarly shaped, its lens the same deep purple as the gems inlaid in her duel disk.

Morgan walked over to his daughter. "Do you like what you got?"

"Do I like it? I love it! Thanks guys!" she repeated for the umpteenth time. Her friends couldn't help but smile. It wasn't every day that they got to see their friend in such a giddy state.

"Well," Morgan began, "your mother and I have something to give you. We've been thinking about it for a long time, and we think you're ready."

Off to the side, Nathaniel's eyes widened. _He wouldn't dare, would he?_

"We had to think it over a bit, but I think you'll like it," he pulled out the package he picked up earlier and set it in front of his daughter. Upon seeing her inquisitive stair, he continued. "Go on, open it."

The paper fell away as Mitsuko's fingers tore through the wrapping paper and continued to do so until a small gold box sat in front of her.

She looked to her father for approval to open the container. He nodded, and with more grace than she thought she possessed, she opened the top of the box. Upon viewing the box's contents, a small squeak of excitement escaped her mouth.

Sitting inside the box was a deck of duel monster cards. Her friends leaned over to see what it was that had excited their friend, only to let out excited gasps themselves.

Mitsuko plucked the deck of cards out of the box carefully so as not to damage them. She began looking through them, her eyes lighting up even more with each new card.

When she was done, she leapt into her father's arms. "Thank you Dad!" she cried happily.

Morgan laughed as he embraced his daughter. "I take it you like it?"

"Yeah!" she nodded as he picked her up.

"Now you can duel with us!" Zessica cheered. Leon and Kaus were quick to agree with her.

A nod of agreement answered them. Morgan put his daughter down, letting her hop out of his arms.

"Hey dad?"

The silver haired man looked down at his daughter. "Yes Mitsuko? Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing's wrong! But…" she trialed off as she dug through her deck for a card, "this is a dragon deck, so why is there a spellcaster in here?"

She held up the card in question. It depicted a young boy with blond hair in black robes adorned with gold lining and armor. Behind him, there was a depiction of a gold dragon with purple eyes and a purple gem inlaid in its forehead.

"Oh, so you noticed," Morgan smiled. He bent down so that he was at eye level with his daughter, "That's Golden Dragon Summoner. I know he isn't a dragon, but with his ability, he can call more dragons to the field. Do you understand why he's there now?"

Mitsuko gave an enthusiastic nod in response and looked back down at the card, now with a look of interest rather than confusion.

Morgan's eyes softened. "He's a very special card, so take care of him. Always treasure your cards, even if you don't use them. Monsters are your friends Mitsuko. If you treat them well, they'll treat you well too, so always respect your monsters, okay?"

"I will Dad! You hear that Gold Dragon Summoner? We're gonna be friends!" she danced around joyously, laughing all the while.

The silver haired man walked back over to the rest of the adults as Mitsuko's friends pressed her to see her deck, to which the girl responded with an indignant cry of "No!"

Nathaniel was the first to approach him. "Are you out of your mind Morgan?" he hissed, "You're putting our children in danger!"

Morgan leveled a glare at the bluenette. "As long as she remains unaware, she'll be fine. If anything happens, Lucia and I will handle it. We just need to keep a close eye on her."

The man in front of him was seething. "Keep a close eye on her? She can't control her power! Don't you see that you're taking a big risk? Don't you remember what happened when you awakened your abilities? Back when we were all kids?"

Morgan issued a hiss of irritation as bad memories were called to the surface. Fire danced across his vision and an inhuman roar sounded in his ears. For a moment, he was thrown from reality and into a nightmare of his own creation. After a few moments, Morgan snapped out of his daze and shook his head to dissipate the last of the terrifying memories.

"No, I remember," Morgan protested, "And you can expect me to do everything in my power to prevent that from happening. But this is something that has to be done. If she doesn't learn to control her power, then at some point or another, she will go out of control. And I will admit, I was hoping to put this off for a bit longer, but she'll be starting duel school soon. We can't keep her sheltered forever."

Nathaniel sighed in defeat. "I suppose it's too late to take the deck from her. But if anything happens to my son because of her, there will be hell to pay. Do you understand Morgan?"

Mitsuko's father nodded gravely.

"Hey Dad!" Leon's voice called.

Both men looked over to see a grinning Leon standing next to an equally excited Mitsuko.

"Can we duel please? I really want to see what Mits's deck is like!" he shouted.

Mitsuko gave her friends a venomous glare for using her nickname again, but choose to let it slide. "Please dad? I want to try out my deck."

Morgan opened his mouth to answer her, but Nathaniel beat him to the punch. "No, I'm afraid not. Mitsuko has to learn her way around her deck just like you did before you could duel, Leon. And besides," he switched his gaze to Morgan, "It's getting late. Mr. Bara has to get Mitsuko home before it gets dark."

"Man~" Leon whined. He turned to Mitsuko, "Maybe next time Mits."

"I told you! It' not 'Mits!' It's Mitsuko!"

After saying good-bye to her friends, Mitsuko and her family left the Erenheart mansion and its acres upon acres of land behind them.

* * *

That night, Morgan couldn't help but be troubled by Nathaniel's words.

_You're putting our children in danger!_

He shook his head in agony. Lucia walked over to couch where her husband was sitting and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Are you alright dear?"

He turned to look at her. "I don't know any more Lucia. Did we make the right choice in giving her that deck?"

Lucia sighed. "I can't make that call," she sat down next to him and rubbed hi back in an attempt to calm him down, "she'll discover those abilities sooner or later Morgan. It's only a matter of when. When she does awaken her power, we'll be there to help her every step of the way."

Her husband sighed. "Can't argue with that," he got up, "we might as well go check on Mitsuko. She's probably asleep by now."

His wife nodded in agreement and followed him to the upstairs floor of their house. However, as they got closer to their daughter's room, they heard her voice talking to something.

Panic shot through Morgan like a wildfire. He bounded the rest of the way up the stairs with his worried wife not a stride behind him.

He slammed his daughter's bedroom door open, chest heaving and face covered in sweat. His wife ran to his side and looked into their daughter's room, her expression instantly changing from one of worry to one of shock, just like her husband's.

"Mom? Dad? What's wrong?" Mitsuko inquired.

The younger girl sat on her bed with her legs crossed and her bed covers concealing most of her lap. However, that was not what startled her parents.

What startled them was the large, blue, armor-clad dragon sitting in front of their daughter's bed, eyeing them with a mix of curiosity and aggression.

* * *

Mitsuko always had dreams. That was a given.

She was a child, and children dreamed a lot. Much more than adults.

She had presumed she had been dreaming when she'd woken up only to find a large, glowing blue dragon in gold armor sitting in front of her bed. It wasn't exactly out of the norm, if she considered the dreams she'd had in the past. Not to mention her light obsession with dragons.

Surprisingly, she hadn't been afraid hen she'd seen it. She was more awe-struck than anything.

After a few seconds, she finally managed to ask a coherent question. "Who are you?" she asked innocently.

The dragon's red eyes softened a tad. _I am Hieratic Dragon of Su._ A soothing, feminine voice responded. _I suppose you would refer to me as one of your monsters._

"Oh yeah! You're that pretty blue dragon from the deck that Dad gave me!" she remembered.

The dragon nodded. _Yes. I am. _The beast paused for a moment before it spoke again. _You may not realize it, but you are a very special girl Mitsuko._

"I'm special?"

Another nod answered her. _You are. Perhaps not in a way that people would consider normal, but you are special nonetheless._

Mitsuko decided to ask the obvious question. "How am I special? Isn't this just a dream?"

_About that…_

Before Su could respond, her bedroom door was unceremoniously slammed open.

In the doorway, she could make out the horrified expressions of her parents.

"Mom? Dad? What's wrong?" she frowned.

Before she could even ask Su why her parents were in her dream, she was plucked up out of her bed and taken downstairs. Su, who had been left behind, released a sigh.

Mitsuko's life was never the same after that.

* * *

**A/N: Alright, there's the prologue. First of all, I would like to clear up a few thing about this story:**

**This a re-rite of a previous story, I'm just taking another jab at it to see if I can get it right this time around (and finish it, for that matter!).**

**There will be an OC cast. Not many, mind you, but enough to add a little something to the tory.**

**I am adjusting the plot a bit. For those who read the first version of this (I can't even remember the title of the original), know that the plot isn't going to go in the direction it was before. Consider Mitsuko a completely different character in comparison to how I wrote her before.**

**Updates will be erratic. **

**I hope to adopt an update schedule so I can stay on task and finish this without disappearing for months at a time.**

**And also, news on MMZS. It will be on hiatus until I can break my writer's block. I don't know when I will break my block, but that's how things stand. I will update its summary accordingly.**

**Until then, please, give me your thoughts. Whether it be via a review of a PM is solely your choice. My only request is that there are no flames. If you don't like this story, please, just don't read it. It's as simple as that.**

**This is Eclipse2012, signing off!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: See prologue.**

**Reviewer answers:**

**CatLoverx33: I'm afraid I can't divulge that information. It would spoil the story, and then there would be no story. And besides, who knows if I'll run into plot bunnies or not?**

**Guest: I appreciate the complement. Thank you very much!**

**And now onto the chapter!**

* * *

**Chapter 1: First Impressions: Yuma, the Resident ****Delinquent**

*Heartland City, eight years later*

It was a great day in Heartland City. Sun was shining; birds were chirping, and happy-go-lucky people going about their normal routines.

It was disgusting.

Under the shadows of the gigantic skyscrapers, a girl scoffed. Her silver hair was tied up in a ponytail and was left to flutter in the breeze. Her eyes, a shade of deep purple, had an annoyed glint in them as overly enthusiastic people walked past her. Her clothes, an almost Victorian, purple and black, high-low dress, fluttered in the wind with each step she took.

But truly, it was disgusting. In all of her time living in the city, she still couldn't get over the overly perpetually cheery atmosphere.

Her purple eyes narrowed. Why couldn't something tragic happen already?

_Now, Now Mitsuko, _a feminine voice chided, _you have to give them some credit. Most people can't stay perpetually happy. The fact that this city can keep their spirits up for longer than usual is actually quite impressive._

The girl, now known as Mitsuko, cast a nasty glare at the being next to her. But rather than another human being standing next to her, there was a translucent blue dragon instead. Small blue particles floated down from her gigantic wings, and most of her body was covered in gold armor. Red eyes glared out from under a gold helm, currently focused on her mistress.

However, people didn't seem to notice the gigantic beast in their midst. One person, who had been walking in the other direction, walked right through the dragon's torso as if she was just a hologram.

Even stranger was the fact that neither dragon nor mistress seemed to mind. Or notice, for that matter.

Mitsuko sighed. "I know Su, but it's like they've never known a rainy day. As I've said multiple times, it's disgusting."

The blue dragon echoed her master's sigh. _Your opinion is your opinion I suppose. I do well in school today, all right? I don't want to have to tell your mom that you were zoning out again._

The silver haired girl sighed again. "I know Su. Believe me, I know. I've just had a lot on my mind.

The dragon shook her head in disdain. _Mitsuko, you can't keep going back to _that_. It won't happen again. You're in control now._

"That doesn't stop me from worrying. I don't want a repeat of that incident. Ever.

Su nodded sagely. _I know, but please, try not to worry so much will you? Just be sure to have a good day Mitsuko._

"Same to you Su."

With that, the dragon dispersed into light blue particles, leaving Mitsuko standing alone on the sidewalk. With soft sigh that should have come from a person three times her age, she continued on her way.

The rest of her walk was pretty boring. Caught in crowds, crossing streets, walking down sidewalks, etc. In all honesty, it was all the same to her. She just didn't care.

A few minutes later, she reached a small park like area. A large sidewalk weaved its way through the trees, and a few litterbots- robots that took the time to pick up people's trash- milled about the area.

As she began walking down a long set of stairs, she heard an indignant cry of anguish behind her. She peered over her shoulder to see a boy in a white and red uniform shirt and jeans trying to race another boy-who was much more heavy-set, mind you- on a skateboard.

As they reached the steps the skateboarder maneuvered his board onto the center ramp and sped down unhindered. The other unfortunate boy ran after him.

_Great, _her mind hissed, _he's at it again._

To avoid being plowed over by the two boys, she stepped out of the way before either one could reach her. The boarder breezed past her, only looking over and raising a hand in hello before continuing on. The other one ignored her completely.

The skateboarder reached the bottom of the stairs first.

But not before he kicked a litterbot into the other boy's path.

Mitsuko didn't even wince as he slammed into it. His school bag-a brown, over the shoulder messenger bag- and the other belongings he had on him went flying upon impact. His deck box, which had been previously attached to one of his belt loops, came off and opened in mid-air, its contents coming flying out. Cards floated to the ground, leaving the boy scrambling to pick them up.

Mitsuko walked over and picked up one of the cards. _He really should be treating you guys better you know._

The card she picked up, Gagaga Magician, responded with what she would mentally interpret as a nod. _He should. But he's young and irresponsible._

_You can say that again. _She thought back.

She walked over to the boy, who was grappling with the litterbots for his remaining cards. He managed to get the card out of the robots mechanical hands and went about examining it for damage not a second after.

Mitsuko sighed. "I thought you'd learn by now that you can't beat Bronk when he's got that skateboard Yuma."

The raven and red-haired boy looked up at her with indignant eyes. "Yeah I can! I just have to feel the flow!"

The silver haired female had to resist the urge to shake her head in disdain. _This boy and his skewed logic…_

"Look, Yuma, I understand your enthusiasm, but some things are just impossible. I don't know about you, but I prefer to keep my feet on the ground."

With that, she walked away, leaving Yuma behind to pick up his remaining cards.

_Don't you think that was a bit harsh? _A young voice inquired.

Mitsuko sighed, but kept walking. "Summoner, someone has to tell him these things. He can't continue with his delusions of 'high fiving the sky.' He has to wake up to the real world; as does the rest of this city, for that matter."

Her deck box glowed gold, and out of it sprang a young boy, maybe nine or ten, in black and purple robes. A pointed hood covered his head, and a small cape flared out behind him. His hair, which was blond, poked out from under his hood. His hands were covered in black fingerless gloves. Small purple gemstone adornments were inlaid into his shirt and pants.

Gold Dragon Summoner huffed in irritation as he walked alongside her. _Yeah, but personally, I'm for his logic. You're too gloomy. Not to mention a bother to be around…_

"What was that?" Mitsuko growled.

_N-nothing! _Summoner attempted to cover his mistake.

"If I'm such a bother to be around…" she muttered, "why do you hang around me then?"

Summoner twiddled his fingers nervously. He stopped a few seconds later, his expression indignant. _Because you're my partner! You said were going to be friends when you were a kid!_

"And you're still a kid."

_That doesn't matter! _He protested, _I'm your partner and that's that! I'm not leaving._

"And for that, I'm grateful," Mitsuko smiled, "You're one of the few people who stuck around after, well…you know. And I really do appreciate it. Just what these people are living in isn't reality. It's fake. Fabricated. They need to se that. This world isn't all sunshine and rainbows."

_Maybe…_Summoner mused, _but enthusiasm isn't a bad thing!_

"You're right; it's not a bad thing. But there's a difference between enthusiasm and delusion. These people were raised in a fabricated environment, they need to see the truth."

_But you don't know the truth either._

Mitsuko frowned. _I suppose he's got a point there. I don't know what would have been the cause of this fake atmosphere, but that doesn't mean I have to go along with it._

"Whatever. I have to get to school."

_Can I come with you?_

The silver haired girl looked at him over her shoulder. "If you stay a spirit; yes. If not, no way in heck."

_But Mitsuko!_

"I said no Summoner. The point is to keep my ability a _secret_. Not common knowledge."

Summoner let out an indignant huff. _Fine. But you'd better let me out at home!_

Mitsuko sighed. "I will, don't worry. Letting you out at home and at school are two different things."

The boy sighed in defeat and continued to walk alongside her.

After only ten minutes of walking, the duo-or rather person, to normal people-reached heartland academy in record time. The academy itself was in the shape of a semicircle, and the sides consisted entirely of glass. Raised walkways were suspended above the lush grounds, where students milled about.

Mitsuko proceeded down into the central area without a word. Almost instantaneously, she was on the receiving end of glares and odd glances as she proceeded to the school's main entrance.

"Hey look, it's the weirdo again."

"God, you'd think she'd know not to come here."

"I heard that people used to call her a witch! I wonder why?"

"Get out of here scumbag!"

Mitsuko ignored the whispers around her and continued walking, but Summoner seemed to be realty bothered by them and proceed to glare at each and every person.

"Ignore them Summoner. They aren't worth our time," Mitsuko whispered to him.

_But-!_

"No but's. Just keep going."

Summoner reluctantly obeyed her orders and trailed behind her, but the irritated expression remained on his face.

A few minutes later, Summoner sat outside one of the school's bathrooms.

_How can you put up with that every day Mitsuko? _Summoner growled. _They don't even know the first thing about you and yet they use rumors to give you a bad name!_

_Summoner,_ Su sighed as she appeared, _there are some very mean people in the world. People who are only concerned with their own social standing. They put others down to lift themselves up._

_But that's not right! _Summoner cried out indignantly.

_But it is a universal truth. Not everyone is as nice to her as we are. _

"All right you two, that's enough," Mitsuko said as she exited the bathroom. She was dressed in the Heartland Academy standard girl's uniform. Her dress was tucked away in a duffle bag, which was slung over her shoulder, "I know you're irritated Summoner, but this is the way things are for the moment. We just have to deal with it. And besides, I have to get to class."

Summoner got up off the ground and trailed behind her as she headed to one of the classrooms down the hall. Su, who still hovered by the bathroom, sighed and returned to her card immediately.

Mitsuko placed her schoolbag down on the desk in front of her. Her classroom-though an auditorium would be equally as accurate- was situated near a window overlooking the school's central grounds. The desks in the room were placed on raised platforms, which were situated in a semicircle around the teacher's desk and board.

She sat down without a word. Summoner, who'd followed her inside, sat in the aisle against the side of the desk with a bored expression on his face.

Mitsuko glanced over at him fondly. "Why don't you go back to the deck and play with Eset? I'm sure she'd appreciate the company."

_Nah, _he responded, _I'd rather stay here with you._

"Summoner, I doubt the floor is very comfortable."

_Whatever. I'm staying._

"Fine. Suit yourself."

Mitsuko reclined in her seat, leaving Summoner to his own devices.

A young girl about her age placed her bag down on the desk. Mitsuko let one of her eyes slip open in order to get a look at the newcomer.

The girl, upon noticing that she was watching, tensed up and reluctantly sat in the seat next to her.

_Great, _Mitsuko groaned, _does everyone who shares a desk with me get this nervous?_

Mitsuko decided to let that thought slide and focused on simply relaxing during the small time frame she had left before the bell rung.

* * *

About two hours later, the teacher allowed the students to take an hour-long break. Mitsuko, who'd buried herself in her books during class, finally looked up with a relieved sigh.

"Finally," she sighed.

Summoner, who'd just woke up from his nap, yawned in agreement. _Yeah. You were right about the floor._

"I told you so."

_Don't rub it in._

"Well," she said as she got up, "what do you say we head outside. We can't afford to just waste duel period."

Her partner visibly brightened at that. _Let's go then!_

Mitsuko smiled and followed her monster out of the room.

The central grounds were abuzz with activity. Duels were going on as far as the eye could see, some with positive results, others with negative ones.

Mitsuko slid her D-Gazer over her eye. The world lit up in a flash of neon green, and holographic screens appeared from each and every duel site on the grounds. "Ahh, the joys of dueling. You can feel safe with your true feeling on display. Right Summoner?

Summoner seemed as though he couldn't sit still. _Yeah! Oh man, can we duel please? I want to duel right now!_

Mitsuko laughed. "Soon Summoner. We have to find a match first."

Summoner suddenly frowned. _But who'll play us? Everyone's afraid of you._

His master's face changed to match his. "I don't know. We'll figure it out. Besides, if worst comes to worst, we can always duel Mom and Dad."

The blonde's shoulders slumped in defeat. _All right._

Mitsuko's frown deepened. _I wish I could find us a match. I really want my monsters to get some exercise…_

The silver haired female looked off to the right, only to spot Yuma and his friend Tori, who was sporting the third year's girls uniform, observing duels just as she was.

_Oh man, _she though, _I'd better go before he notices me._

"Summoner, let's go," she said as she strode away.

_Wait, why are we-_

"Hey! Mitsuko!"

Mitsuko glanced over her shoulder. _Crap._

Yuma sprinted up to her. "Hey! How ya' doing Mitsuko?"

Mitsuko growled under her breath. "None of your business Yuma. Don't you have some losing to do?"

It was no secret. Yuma had a twenty loss losing streak. He was a sucky duelist, and everyone knew it.

"Hey!" came his indignant cry, "Sure, I have a twenty-loss losing streak, but I'm not that bad?"

_Not that bad? That'll be the day… _she groaned.

"Look, I admire your courage, but I really think you should stick to being a bystander Yuma."

Mitsuko then walked away, Summoner trailing behind her.

She walked up onto one of the many raised platforms on campus. Children were beginning to return to class. However, she spotted an ongoing duel on one of the platforms near the river that ran past the academy. The match, from what she could tell, was between Shark and Bronk.

She narrowed her eyes. Shark was the bully of the school, and her reputation was only second to his own. He didn't really run with the best people, and those that followed him were really just fearful of him. Not only that, he came from the grade level just below her own.

Now the other boy, Bronk, was a whole other story. He was one of Yuma's friends, and often hung out with the raven-haired duelist. He was heavy set, and had a passion for skateboarding. And dueling, of course.

The match seemed to nearing its end. She noticed Yuma and Tori approach just as Shark summoned a Xyz monster called Aero Shark. She watched from afar as Aero Shark ripped into Bronk's life points. The finishing klaxon sounded, signaling that the duel had ended.

She also watched as Bronk's deck was taken from him. Summoner, who had been watching events unfold as she had, issued a sound that was someplace between a yelp and an indignant shout. He looked to her, then to the scene before them, and back to her.

_T-that's not right! _His words were strangled; _You don't just take someone's deck! The monsters have feelings too!_

"I know Summoner," Mitsuko replied curtly. Her gaze seemed distant, "I can hear them. They don't want this."

Summoner gave her a pitiful look. Sometimes being able to hear the voices of duel spirits wasn't necessarily a good thing.

However, just as they both thought they would have to approach Shark to get the deck back, Yuma waltzed up and challenged Shark.

Summoner's jaw dropped at this. _He can't be serious! He's got to be bluffing. Tell me he's bluffing!_

His silver haired companion couldn't help the smile that worked its way onto her face. "I'll admit Summoner, I didn't think the kid had the guts to do something like that. But he did. And I can't say that I'm against it."

Summoner just gave her a stunned look before looking back at the current situation.

The duo watched as Shark broke Yuma's key-which they both knew was an item of importance to Yuma- and walked away.

Mitsuko's eyes narrowed. Shark's behavior was unacceptable.

And he was going to pay for this folly.

But the thought occurred to her that maybe she should let Yuma deal with shark on his own. After all, he was the one who challenge him in the first place.

The girl sighed. She couldn't interfere. It wouldn't be right.

"We're going back to class," she growled.

Summoner blinked at her sudden statement. _What about Yuma?_

She didn't even bother to look at the blond when she answered. "That situation will resolve itself. It's not our place to interfere."

_But-_

"This is not our fight Summoner," she said firmly, "I understand that what Shark did was wrong, but this is something Yuma has to do on his own. Besides, what makes you think I'd help him? We're not even friends."

_But you hate seeing people get bullied._

Mitsuko sighed. She couldn't deny that claim. Not after what she suffered through in her younger years.

"Yes, that's true, but as I said, Yuma needs to handle this on his own. This is his fight," she paused for emphasis, "Not ours."

* * *

The next day, Yuma was, predictably, much quieter than usual. Mitsuko wasn't surprised, nor was Bronk and Tori.

Although she only watched from afar, Mitsuko could see the obvious difference in his behavior. She supposed that he'd lost some of his drive, but she reminded herself that this was something Yuma had to do on his own. She couldn't just walk up and slap some sense into him.

Even though she wanted to.

On her way home from school that day, Su came out of her card form to accompany her. Summoner had chosen to stay in his card that day.

_Good afternoon Mitsuko._

"Good afternoon Su. Is something wrong?"

_No, _the dragon responded, _but I feel as though something big is going to happen. And it's going to happen soon._

This caught Mitsuko's attention. "How long has this been going on?"

_If I had to estimate, I'd say about a week. Powers are stirring Mitsuko. These powers are like nothing I've ever seen before._

"Should I be worried about any of this?" she inquired.

_No, not yet at least,_ the blue dragon paused,_ I'll keep an eye on this hunch of mine. I should know when something happens._

The purple-eyed girl nodded. "Thanks for alerting me Su. Out of curiosity, does this feeling have a source?"

Su seemed to grimace. _That's the thing. The source is a bit hard to identify. It…isn't of this world._

"Is it from the spirit world?"

_No. It feels like something else entirely. But I can say one thing for sure._

She raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"

_It has to do with that boy._

Mitsuko looked up at her dragon. "What boy? You have to be more specific."

Su looked at her. _You know him. Yuma._

Mitsuko stopped in her tracks.

"Son of a biscuit…"

* * *

**A/N: Okay, the first official chapter of this story is up! I have to say, this is an improvement. I thought I would never get around to updating anything, but what do you know, I actually did! Success! I seriously think school is getting the creative juices flowing again!**

**Okay, that's enough ranting from me. Please leave a review of your thoughts on the chapter. Or a PM, if you prefer. I'm going to try updating this weekly, so the next update should be next Wednesday if this goes according to plan. I'm going to attempt to do the same with my other stories as well, so until the next chapter, this is Eclipse2012, signing off!**


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: See prologue**

**Reviewer answers:**

**Catloverx33: Well, you could say that, but it's more along the lines of the fact that she's a realist. People, at least in her opinion, shouldn't be that sprightly all the time. As the saying goes, you don't know a sunny day if you haven't experienced a rainy one. Heartland City contradicts that rule, but only for some people. Mitsuko doesn't know that.**

* * *

Chapter 2: Number Storm

_*Last time on A New Life*_

"_Should I be worried about any of this?" she inquired._

No, not yet at least, the blue dragon paused,_ I'll keep an eye on this hunch of mine. I should know when something happens._

_The purple-eyed girl nodded. "Thanks for alerting me Su. Out of curiosity, does this feeling have a source?"_

_Su seemed to grimace._ _That's the thing. The source is a bit hard to identify. It…isn't of this world._

"_Is it from the spirit world?"_

_No. It feels like something else entirely. But I can say one thing for sure._

_She raised an eyebrow. "And that would be?"_

_It has to do with that boy._

_Mitsuko looked up at her dragon. "What boy? You have to be more specific."_

_Su looked at her._ _You know him. Yuma._

_Mitsuko stopped in her tracks._

"_Son of a biscuit…"_

* * *

It was quiet that night. Su had been extremely restless, and even Summoner seemed edgy.

Mitsuko sighed. Everything seemed to be going to crap.

She was curled up on her bed in her room, irritated and worried. She had now clue of what was about to happen, and she didn't know if she was ready for whatever was coming. But she wasn't too concerned about that.

After all, she'd been thrown into a situation like that once before, and she was fine. Why couldn't that be the case now?

However, that didn't stop her from being a bit irritable. And made sure everyone knew it.

Summoner, who was sitting at the foot of her bed, gave his reclining mistress a worried look.

_Are you all right?_

She burrowed under the purple covers of her bed even further, covering her eyes with her arm as she settled down again. "I don't know Summoner. A whole bunch of crap is apparently about to go down and I don't even know what to do. And apparently Yuma is somehow involved. So yeah, I'm kind of ticked."

The blond at the edge of her bed frowned. _That doesn't mean you have to snap at everyone. _He said as he crawled over to her. _Besides, why is it our problem?_

The silver-haired girl sighed. "We don't know if we're going to get involved or not. Su didn't exactly say whether or not this would affect us."

Summoner just gave her a mildly irritated look in response.

"What?"

_Then why are you worrying about it?_

"Because if I don't, who will? It's not like any of Yuma's friends, or Yuma himself for that matter, is aware of what's going on."

_But it's not our problem._

"It could become our problem," she shot back, "Su said something big was going to happen. I have a hunch that this is going to affect more than just Yuma."

Summoner sighed. _Are you sure?_

Mitsuko nodded. "Almost positive. My gut feelings are usually spot-on, so it's pretty likely."

_So what should we do then? _Su rumbled as she emerged from her card. _We can't exactly tell the boy something is going to happen, but we can't let him out of our sight either. What should we do Mitsuko?_

"I think we should stay out of his way," she began, "I'll have Nebthet keep an eye on him for us while we keep an eye on those around him. As I said, I think this'll affect more people than we think."

Su nodded sagely. _Yes, it seems like a sound plan. Nebthet can monitor the boy wiliest we keep an eye out for underlying signs of this event's gradual occurrence. It certainly sounds like a reasonable plan._

_But what's going to happen to us? _Summoner cried, _If we get involved, who knows what'll happen!_

"We'll cross that bridge when we get there Summoner," Mitsuko responded, "I'll ask mom to keep an eye on her duel spirits just in case this turns into something bigger than what we thought."

_That is a good idea, but I believe your mother is already aware of what is about to happen Mitsuko. _Su pointed out, _She is more experienced than you are when it comes to dealing with duel spirits. You have yet to be able to communicate with card outside of the ones that want to speak with you. And your mother hasn't given me permission to take you to the spirit world yet. In comparison to her, you are a rookie._

"Go ahead and rub it in, would ya'…?" she groaned.

Su chuckled. _Well, the point of the matter is that I'm almost certain she's aware of the situation. We should just go about our own business and let things play out._

"I'm seriously surprised that you're handling this so well Su. Most of the monsters I've spoken to would've freaked out by now."

_Mitsuko, I have had many partners before you. Your father and mother tasked us Hieratics to watch over you until your abilities developed, and I intend to stick to that promise, as do my brethren. We will not let harm befall you._

"Thanks, but I don't think that it's likely injury will occur because of this event," she paused, a frown suddenly appearing on her lips, "It's not like we're dealing with a psychic duelist or something…"

Su only sighed. _Lyra, if something happens to you there's not telling what-_

"I know Su. If this affects me negatively, then this city is screwed. I get it," she hissed.

Her dragon wisely opted not to respond.

She calmed down after a moment. "Sorry. I'm just on edge. I didn't mean to snap."

_Don't worry about it. _Su rumbled, _I'm on edge as well. I'm just exerting more self-control. _

The silver-haired girl nodded. "I could certainly use a bit more self control, huh?"

_It wouldn't hurt._

Mitsuko looked over to Summoner, who'd been silent during the exchange. "Sorry."

Her monster shook his head. _It's okay._

His master sighed. "I think we should all get some rest," she began, "I'm certain we all need it."

_I concur. _Su agreed.

Summoner gave her a mute nod in response.

Both monsters disappeared back into their cards, leaving Mitsuko lying on her bed alone.

* * *

The next morning was rough. She'd slept through her alarm, which was bad, but to make matters worse, Eset had been forced to wake her up. Why was this bad? Well, Eset was basically an excited puppy.

_Wake up Mitsu! _She roared happily, _It's morning!_

The pink dragon had jumped on her bed ceaselessly until her master had struggled out from under the sheets.

That had not been fun.

Afterwards, she'd gone about her morning routine as per usual. However, instead of wearing her preferred dress to school, she decided simply to dress in the school uniform right away. It was more convenient, despite how uncomfortable the uniform could be.

Luckily, her mother had made her a bacon sandwich to eat on the way to school. That helped remedy her bad mood.

So she continued onto school as she'd planned. This morning, she didn't even encounter Yuma at all, which was good.

She didn't need him knowing that she was keeping an eye on him.

* * *

After only five minutes of walking, she arrived at school with a whole half-hour to spare. As she would normally expect, kids of all ages milled about the central grounds, some engaging in conversations, others dueling before school started.

She choose to avoid the other students and settled herself beneath a staircase that lead up to the raised walkways. The shaded area was much more comfortable than the heat of the sun.

She quietly drew a card out of her deck box. "Nebthet," she whispered, "keep an eye on Yuma Tsukumo once he gets here. Report anything suspicious to me."

The card glowed for a brief moment, a second later, a purple dragon clad in gold armor appeared before her.

_Of course. _Came the hissed response, _Anything else I should be aware of?_

"No," Mitsuko responded, "I know only as much as you do, which isn't much. Just keep an eye on him."

Nebthet nodded and flew off to perch atop one of the buildings while he waited for Yuma to arrive.

However, if he did arrive, Mitsuko never saw him. She'd already headed to class.

* * *

Eight boring hours later, the final bell rung, signaling the end of the school day. Mitsuko leaned back in her seat and released a sigh of relief. School sucked, case in point.

As she walked out of her classroom, she noticed Nebthet standing just to the let of the door.

"Anything Nebthet?" she whispered.

_Nothing as of yet Mitsuko. I haven't felt or seen anything out of the ordinary._

"That's good," the silver haired girl sighed, "Even if it makes things uneventful."

Nebthet rolled his eyes and disappeared back into his card without another word.

At that moment, Su emerged. _I just got the news from Nebthet. Nothing's happened yet._

"Keyword being yet Su," Mitsuko whispered in response. She had begun walking down the corridor, and Su followed her with little difficulty, "You said that something was bond to happen, and until it does, I'm going to have Nebthet continue to keep an eye on Yuma."

_Than why isn't he doing that right now?_

"Simple. If anything were to happen while we are walking out of this building, we would know within ten seconds," she gestured to the people around her, "classmates are kind of useful that way."

_You make a good point._

"And besides, Nebthet deserves a break. He had to watch Yuma for eight hours. Making him continue to do so would be sadistic."

Su nodded in agreement.

"And honestly, we're going into the weekend. What's the worst that could happen?"

_Please don't jinx yourself._

"Too late for that?" came her partner's dry response.

The duo then continued to make their way out of the building, and took extra caution in order to make sure they didn't run into Yuma.

Well, more like Mitsuko was a bit more cautious. Yuma was just too annoying for his own good.

Regardless, the duo made it home without running into the raven-haired boy, much to Mitsuko's relief.

The girl opened the door with a sigh and walked in. She slipped her shoes off at the door, as she'd learned it was customary to do so.

Afterwards, she made her way into the kitchen, where her mother was cooking what smelt like pasta. Mitsuko took inhaled deeply and smiled.

"Smells good Mom," she commented.

Her mother turned to face her daughter. "I'm glad you think so. It took me awhile to find it at the grocery store," her mother's eyes flashed over to Su, who unfortunately had to lean over just to fit into the kitchen. "And good afternoon Su. Are you sure you're comfortable standing like that?"

In response, the dragon dropped onto all fours and padded over to Mitsuko's chair. _No, but that wont stop me from keeping an eye on your daughter._

"She's a little troublemaker, isn't she?"

_At times, certainly._

Mitsuko only glared at there exchange from her place at the table. "I'm still here you know."

Su only gave her a mischievous smile. _That's the point._

"You're a terrible, terrible partner Su."

_And you aren't?_

This caused her to pause for a moment. "Touché."

Su and her mother laughed at her disgruntled expression.

Mitsuko's mother turned back to the pot of boiling water. "So Su, is Mitsuko keeping up in her studies?"

The blue dragon raised her head. _Yes. At the moment, she has all A's in every one of her classes. _

And athletics?

_She makes the most of every second._

"Good."

The room went quiet.

After a moment of silence, Mitsuko's mother spoke yet again. "Su?"

_Yes Lucia?_

Lucia cast a glance over her shoulder at the dragon. "I know that you both are aware that something is going on in this city. Something bad."

Mitsuko's eyes, which she'd closed out of sheer exhaustion, flew open. "You know?"

Beside her, Su only chuckled. _I told you so._

The silver-haired girl gave the dragon a nasty glare. "Oh, quiet you."

Lucia only chuckled at the exchange. She expression quickly turned serious a moment later. "As I was saying, something bad is afoot. Something that has the potential to wipe out our city."

"What makes you say that Mom? It's not like the world's ending or anything," Mitsuko shot back. One look at her mother's face told her all she needed to know, "Oh dear Crimson Dragon. It is, isn't it?"

Her mother sighed. "What have I told you about using that phrase Mitsuko?"

"Not to."

"Then don't use it," she reprimanded, "You forget; names have power Mitsuko. Especially for physic duelists. With a mere uttering of a word, you can make that word a reality. Be careful dear."

Mitsuko bowed her head. "Yes ma'am."

Su took the moment of silence to speak. _But Lucia, what could possibly have the power to do such a thing? It would have to be on par, if not stronger, than the Earthbound immortals._

"You're right about that Su. It would have to be more powerful than them. But I feel that the nature of this threat is something of another world entirely."

_Are you saying it is a threat from the Spirit World?_

Mitsuko's mother shook her head. "No. This threat is from neither of our two worlds Su. It is from someplace else entirely."

"Are we referring to extraterrestrials in this conversation?" Mitsuko asked suddenly. Her mother and Su nodded, eliciting an awkward laugh from the silver haired female, "But that's impossible. If there were extraterrestrials, we would have known by now."

Her mother sighed and turned back to the stove. "Nothing is impossible Mitsuko. If it is possible, it will happen."

"And you just brought Murphy's Law into this," Mitsuko grumbled caustically. Su rolled her eyes at her partner, earning her a glare.

"Regardless of whether or not I'm right," Lucia continued, "Just stay on your toes; the both of you."

"Yes ma'am/_Yes ma'am_" the two responded in unison.

Lucia laughed. "Well, that's enough of depressing talk. Now who's hungry?"

* * *

The next day

Mitsuko had decided to spend her Saturday walking around the local park. Su and Summoner had decided to accompany her. The trio idly walked around the park plaza, which had a beautiful, but simple fountain as its centerpiece.

_Man, it sure feels great today! _Summoner laughed happily.

Su, who hovered above the two, couldn't help but agree. _Yes, it does feel excellent today. The sun is shining, its not too hot, and there's a nice breeze. Yes, I do believe that today is a good day._

"You two, honestly," Mitsuko laughed, "you're like little kids sometimes."

_And you for once aren't being pessimistic._

"Don't push your luck Su. Count yourselves lucky that I'm in a good mood."

Summoner and Su only laughed at her, and it took quite a bit of willpower not to snap at them.

After a few minutes, they wandered down one of the less crowded paths in the park, which ran past an artificial lake.

"You know, this place reminds me of central park in New York," the silver haired girl commented.

_I can see that. _Su agreed. _They're both in the middle of a gigantic city, they're both several blocks long and wide, and they're both bustling with people. Yes, I can see the similarities._

_ But it's nice, isn't it? _Summoner added cheerfully. _It's kind of like a piece of home._

Mitsuko smiled."You could say that."

Summoner only smiled.

They continued to walk, passing several bikers and fellow pedestrians as they did. Eventually, they stopped and walked off the path. The group quickly settled in a secluded grove of trees.

Mitsuko stretched leisurely. "Peace and quiet at last."

Su landed and curled up at the base of one of the trees. _It's relaxing, I suppose._

"You suppose?"

Su chuckled. _Okay, it's relaxing._

Summoner, being the little kid that he was, flopped down on his back with his arms and legs flayed out to his sides. And of course, he had a large smile on his face.

Mitsuko chuckled and ruffled his hair, causing Summoner to attempt to bat her hand away. His master laughed, but she stopped and went back to leaning against the truck of one of the many trees.

"I have to say, this is one of the best days I've had since moving to heartland city guys," she sighed.

_I don't know Mitsuko. You've been here for a while. That's a lot of days that might be unaccounted for. _Su smirked.

"True. But to my memory, it's one of the best. And besides, not all of us have a fantastic memory."

Su shrugged in response. _Fair enough._

The trio resumed relaxing after that.

Mitsuko stared at the clouds as they lazily passed overhead. Now that she thought about it, it'd been a while since she'd just sat still with nothing to do. And quite honestly, it felt good.

But suddenly, before she could expand on those thoughts, her head started pounding. Su quickly took notice of her clear discomfort and shook Summoner awake. Both monsters were at her side in an instant.

_Mitsuko, what's wrong? _Su's voice was bordering on what would be a roar, _Come on Mitsuko, talk to me!_

_ Mitsuko? _Summoner's voice was comparatively smaller than his draconic counterpart's was, _Mitsuko?_

They were helpless as they watched their master writhe on the ground in pain. Her hands clutched at her head, almost as if she thought she could rip the pain out if she tried hard enough. She was curled up in a fetal position. Small whimpers escaped her lips every few seconds.

Su began to growl. _At this rate, I'll have to materialize on my own and take her home._

Summoner, on the other hand, looked close to having a mental breakdown. _Oh God, oh God, oh God…_

Unknown to them, Mitsuko was having her own mental struggle. It felt as though her head was going to burst. Sounds akin to explosions echoed from all around her, and the sheer decibel level was driving her mad.

But in all of the chaos, she heard a voice. And at that moment, everything went silent.

_Do you have the courage?_

She blinked. Courage?

The sentence was repeated, but this time, it was almost drowned out by Su and Summoner's voices.

_Hey! Hey! Mitsuko! Pull yourself together! _Su roared.

The dragon watched as her master's eyes open. "Can't you hear it…?"

_Hear what?_

"The voice…"

_Mitsuko, you aren't making any sense._

"The voice of the gate…"

And at that moment, everything went white.

* * *

When the trio came to, they were standing on a rather narrow pathway. Summoner clung to Mitsuko's leg, and the young girl clung to Su's taloned hands for balance. White-blue particles floated up from what appeared to be a deep abyss.

But it was what was ahead of them that really put them on edge.

About fifty meters away from them was a monstrous looking gate. It had the visage of terrifying dragon, and chains were wrapped all around it.

However, what might have put the trio off even more was the fact that Yuma was there with them.

They only watched as he plunged his key into a keyhole in the door. The gate's chains snapped, and everything exploded.

Though everything went black, another sound suddenly reached her ears. It was a loud roar-like sound that shook her to her core. She felt a searing pain on the back of her hand, and just as quickly as the pain came, it was gone.

Mitsuko blinked. The heck?

And in that instant everything-from her senses to her own thoughts-faded away.

* * *

When she woke up, she was back in her bedroom. She drowsily turned her head to the left to find Su, still unconscious, lying next to her bed. To her right, her mother sat in a chair.

"Where's Summoner?" Mitsuko whispered.

Her mother smiled and brushed her daughter's bangs out of her face. "He's alright. He wasn't strong enough to maintain his spirit form in our world, so he went back to your deck."

Mitsuko sighed. "That's good…"

Lucia smiled. But just as suddenly, that smile turned into a frown. "Now tell me, what happened? Nebthet came running to get me and was practically screaming about how all three of you had suddenly blacked out. Care to elaborate any?"

Mitsuko's gaze suddenly became downcast. "I'm sorry. I can't seem to remember much. But I can say one thing."

Her mother's eyes narrowed as she continued. "What you were talking about yesterday, about the end of the world, guess what? The ball is rolling. And one of the lower classmen is involved."

After a brief exchange after that, her mother left, leaving Mitsuko to quietly contemplate the day's events.

Su had since come to consciousness after her mother left. _How are you doing?_

"Fine."

_You're sure?_

"Yeah," came her impatient response, "I feel fine."

Su seemed hesitant, but she relented. _If you say so. Goodnight Mitsuko._

"Goodnight Su."

Unknown to either of them, a flash of ruby appeared on her right hand. But just as quickly as it appeared, it faded just as fast.

* * *

**A/N: Well this took awhile to update.**

**I apologize. I've been working on other stories, and this one just kind of took a backseat for a while. So, yeah.**

**Anyways, please tell me your thoughts via review or PM message. Constructive criticism is welcome, as per usual, but no flames.**

**So until the next chapter, this is Eclipse2012, signing off! **


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